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Adventure in Abruzzo


Cooking Lessons, Fortresses and Turkeys

Home On Tour! Cooking Adventure in Abruzzo

Cooking Adventure in Abruzzo

On Tour! |

Jeff and I headed off to the town of Penne in the Abruzzo Region earlier this month. The region of Abruzzo is located on the Adriatic side of Italy, east of Rome.

Map showing Penne

Abruzzo is known for its mountains, national parks and medieval castles and monuments. Penne was 420 kilometers (approximately 260 miles) from our house. This time of year — with all the colors of fall — it was a very scenic drive.

Each region in Italy has its own gastronomic specialties. Jeff and I were fortunate enough to stay at a lovely agriturismo (farm house) called Le Tre Poiane. The proprietor invited us into his kitchen to watch as he prepared our dinner each night. He even gave us the opportunity for hands-on experience in making pasta. We learned so much. It was a weekend we will not soon forget.

We emerged with a renewed admiration for those who have mastered the art of handmade pasta as well as recipes, tips and tricks for:  eggplant parmesan, risotto with pumpkin, the most delicious and tender pork cutlets, roasted potatoes, peppers and onions with balsamic, lamb chops, apple crumble, pasta with a sauce made from garbanzo beans, ravioli, grilled zucchini, simple marinated chicken, simple tomato sauce, and a butter and sage sauce.

We managed to push ourselves away from the dining table long enough to explore the towns of Penne, Pescara, Castel del Monte, and Calascio — all contained within the Parco Nazionale del Gran Sasso.  Everywhere you turn in this country there is another gem to explore.  I will never live long enough to grow tired of the beauty in this country.

We stayed close on Day 1.  The historical center of Penne was fun to explore and photograph.  There was beautiful architecture –

Roof with foliage in Penne

Beautiful architecture – Penne

 

Adorable old ladies –

lady in Penne

 

Equally adorable Italian cars –

Fiat in Penne

Alley ways lit up beautifully at night –

Nightfall in Penne

and a perfect glass of wine at the Bar Centrale –

wine at Central Bar in Penne

 

We finished the evening up with a cooking lesson by Lorenzo consisting of a pasta typical to that area called “sagne.”  I would describe it as short, thick fettuccine.  Really quite simple to make.  The sagne was accompanied by a sauce made from garbanzo beans.  To go along with the pasta, Lorenzo prepared lamb chops, the most delicious roasted potatoes I’ve ever eaten, and a tasty saute of red peppers, onions and balsamic vinegar.  Dessert was a fresh apple crumble.

On Day 2 we headed to Pescara expecting to be awed by the coastline and water.  It didn’t happen.  The weather was perfect — not too hot, not too cold.  The seaside was bustling with people and their dogs, and the weekend fishermen were present as well.  Unfortunately for us, most businesses along the boardwalk had closed up for the season.  I imagine Pescara would be a great place to visit in the summer.

Pescara beach and dogsPescara fishing from jetty

Our less-than-rewarding trip to Pescara was mitigated by the cooking lesson from Lorenzo that evening.  We learned how to make ravioli with ricotta filling, accompanied by a simple tomato sauce.  We also enjoyed grilled zucchini, and delicious chicken marinated in olive oil, white wine, green peppers and seasonings.

Day 3 was our favorite.  We headed off to explore the towns of Castel del Monte, Calascio and Santa Stefano di Sessanio.  We spent so much time at the first two towns that we didn’t have time to stop at Santa Stefano di Sessanio. We’ll have to go back because Lorenzo tells us that is the best of the three.

As we headed to the first town (Castel del Monte), we happened across a pair of delicious looking turkeys along side the road –

Castel del Monte Turkey on the way

The Turkeys of Abruzzo

The colors of the landscape along the way were so pretty –

Pescara fall colored hillside

The historical center of Castel del Monte  is undergoing a major restoration and many houses appear to be vacant.  It was interesting to walk through the narrow streets and admire the character.

Castel del Monte restoratijon Castel del Monte view from outside city Castel del Monte view from alley way

Before we left Castel del Monte, we stopped for lunch.  Jeff ordered a plate of typical antipasti from the area.  Thankfully, my comprehension of the Italian language is slightly better than Jeff’s.  Because of this, I was able to save him from eating the dish containing lamb liver  — fegato di agnello.  He owes me.

We continued onto Calascio where we hiked up to the hilltop fortress of Rocca Calascio.  The hike was easy –

Rocca Calascio fortress hike up

Until Jeff decided to take a shortcut —  straight up the mountain

Rocca Calascio fortress hike up Jeff shortcut

I used my common sense and continued on the marked path which led me past this beautiful seventeenth century octagonal church — Santa Maria della Pieta

Church

Once at the top, we took our time exploring the fortress and enjoying the breathtaking views.  This time of year, there were very few visitors.  We were alone most of the time we spent up there.

Rocca Calascio fortress Rocca Calascio fortress 2 Rocca Calascio fortress window Rocca Calascio fortress moody clouds Rocca Calascio fortress window2 Castello in Abruzzo

From our vantage point, we could see a shepherd and his flock, along with the Pastore Abruzzese dogs that we love so much –

Rocca Calascio shepherd and herd

Our tummies started to warn us that dinner time was approaching so we started our trip back to Le Tre Poiane to watch Lorenzo prepare our dinner.  Along the way, we spotted a stray Pastore Abruzzese.  He was very leary of us crazy Americans talking nonsense to him while hanging out the car window, but we managed to grab a shot of him before he rolled his eyes, shook his head and slinked away –

Stray Pastore Abruzzese

 

 

We came across another up the road that appeared to be cared for.  She was very friendly –

Friendly Mama Dog and Jeff

Our day ended with yet another amazing meal prepared by Lorenzo — eggplant parmesan, risotto with pumpkin, tender marinated pork cutlets and broccoli rabe with olive oil and hot pepper.

We thoroughly enjoyed our three days at Le Tre Poiane.  Lorenzo was an excellent host and gave us great suggestions for day trips.  I look forward to returning and exploring Santo Stefano de Sessanio!

 

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2 Comments

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  • Holly
    · Reply

    August 5, 2015 at 6:11 AM
    So much had me thinking wow with your photos and stories. That church is beautiful and I love the thought of getting a little lost in Italy and discovering these local treasures. Of course the cooking lessons and the food are up there too. Yum! Thanks for linking up for #snapshotstory
  • Sam - Journo and the Joker
    · Reply

    August 4, 2015 at 3:03 AM
    Wow. That looks like an amazing weekend with such stunning scenery. And all that food. My mouth is watering at the thought of it. It's great to hear about the places in Italy outside the big tourism spots. I'd like to visit one day.

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